Locking device



April 1963 c. P. CAIRELLI ETTAL 3,083,896

LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG! mi 8 i117 INVENTORS CARMEN P CAIRELLI WILLIAM S. SHUSTOCK ATTORNEYS April 2, 1963 c. P. CAIRELLI ET AL 3,083,896

LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 1, 1961 3 SheetsSheet 2 FIG. 6

F/G. 5 z? 25 INVENTORS CARMEN P. CAIRELLI WILLIAM S. SHUSTOCK ATTORNEYS April 1953 c. P. CAIRELL! ETAL 3,033,896

LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG 8 FIG 7 60 are INVENTORS CARMEN R CAIRELLI WILLIAM S. SHUSTOCK ZW M ATTORNEYS Unite tats atent Ofiice 3,983,896 Patented Apr. 2, 1963 3,083,896 LBCKENG DEVECE Qarmen P. (Iairelli, Farmington, and William S. Shustoclr, Newington, Conn, assignors to M. H. Rhodes, inc, Hartford, Conn a corporation of Delaware Filed May 1, 1961, Ser- No. 196,668 12 Claims. (Cl. 232-15) This invention relates to locking devices for containers or the like and is more particularly directed to a mechanism that is adapted to prevent unauthorized access to the contents of a container such as a portable coin box not only when the container is installed in an associated device such as a vending machine but also when removed therefrom.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved locking device for a portable coin box or the like which not only is operable to lock and unlock the coin box but also is operable to secure the coin box to an associated device.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved locking device for a coin box or other container which is operable by one operator for locking the box on and removing it from a vending machine or the like without giving him access to the contents of the box, and is operable by a second operator for removing the contents of the box.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a coin box or other container with a locking device that is operable to prevent access to the contents of the box and additionally operable to secure the coin box to another member, and wherein the box is suitably sealed at all times to prevent tampering with the locking mechanism.

It is another object of this invention to provide a coin box and coin box receptacle assembly that incorporates an improved locking means for securing the box within the receptacle, and which is sturdy and durable and has a simple arrangement of parts that are economically made and assembled.

Gther objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

REG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine with a coin box and coin box receptacle assembly installed thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the coin box and receptacle assembly of FIG. 1 showing the coin box separated from the receptacle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coin box of FIG. 2 showing the coin box closure separated from the coin box;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the coin box and receptacle assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan section view of the coin box and receptacle assembly taken substantially along the line 5.5 of FIG, 4; and

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are top plan section views of the coin box taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the coin box locking mechanism in various opcrating positions.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a coin box subassembly, generally designated by the numeral 8, is adapted for installation within a receptacle or case 10 that can be secured to a vending machine 12 or the like as by screws or rivets extending through the apertures 14 (FIG. 2). The coin box subassembly 8 is retained in the case 10 by the cooperation of the studs 18 fixed to opposite sides of the coin box 8 and the L-shaped slot 20 in the case, and can be easily assembled therein by merely inserting the box 8 horizontally into the case and then lowering it so that studs 18 are received within the vertical slot portions 21 for restricting movement of the box to the upward direction. With the coin box so assembled, a coin slot 28 extending through the coin box cover 22 is located beneath a coin funnel fixed to the case 10 .and is thereby positioned to receive coins directed to the funnel from the vending machine coin operated mechanism (not shown).

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, upward movement of the coin box 8 Within the case 10 can be prevented by extending a bolt 32 mounted within the coil box subassembly into a slot 34 in the receptacle 1d thereby locking the coin box in the case. After the bolt 32 is retracted from the slot 34, the box 8 is easily removed by lifting it upwardly and outwardly for guiding the studs 18 out of the slots 20.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bolt 32, a bolt latching mechanism comprising a bolt latch 40 and a latch biasing pawl 42, and a coin slot blocking lever 38, all stamped sheet metal parts, are mounted for movement between the inside surface of the coin box top 23 and a plate 36 spaced parallel thereto. Leaf springs 44 and 46 are provided to bias the pawl 42 and the blocking lever 38 against the latch 44 and the bolt 32, respectively, and a number of rivet pins 48 extend from the top 23 to the plate 36 to secure the plates to the cover and for guiding the parts located therebetween. The cover 22 is hinged to the coin box container by the reception of the cover hinge tabs 31 (FIG. 2) in the apertures 25 (FIG. 3) and can be pivoted to close the container opening and to position the peripheral depending cover flange or edge 2? about the sides of the container. The cover 22 can then be locked on the coin box container by extending the bolt 32 under an L-shaped catch 54 secured to the inside of the box container side 27 (FIG. 3).

The bolt 32 has three functional positions; a fully extended position, shown in FIG. 5, for locking the cover 22 to the box container and for locking the coin box subassembly 8 to the case it); a partially retracted or intermediate position, shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, for looking the cover to the box container; and a fully retracted position, shown in FIG. 7, for allowing removal of cover. A pair of rivet pins 43 extend through bolt slots 47 and 53 to guide the movement of the bolt between these positions and to provide limit stops therefor. For assisting in maintaining the bolt in a selected position, there is provided a detent mechanism (FIG. 5) having a button 45 upstanding from a resilient finger 41 formed from the plate 36 by a U-shaped slot 43. The button 45 is adapted to resiliently engage either a slot 47 or one of two apertures 49 and 51 in the bolt 32 when the bolt is in the three aforementioned positions.

The bolt 32 is actuated by a pin 5'7 fixed to a lever 56 that is adapted to be oscillated by a two-key operated necting the lock and the bolt and positioning the bolt in its intermediate position when the lock is in its first position and positioning the bolt in its extended and retracted positions when the lock is in its second and third positions, respectively.

3. The combination defined by claim 2, further comprising, a bolt latching means preventing movement of the bolt from the intermediate to the extended position after it has been moved from the extended position and until it has been moved to the retracted position.

4. The combination defined by claim 3 wherein the bolt latchin means comprises, a pivotally mounted latch having first and second arms, said bolt having a pair of abutments adapted for engagement with the first arm for pivotin the latch, said latch being pivoted in one direction by said abutments upon movement of the bolt to its extended position and pivoted in the opposite direction by said abu-tments upon movement of the bolt to its retracted position, overcenter biasing means being adapted for biasing the latch in both pivotal directions, and means on the lever engaging the second arm and preventing movement of the bolt to the extended position from the intermediate position when the latch is biased in said one pivotal direction.

5. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein the box has a coin-receiving slot therein, and further comprising, a blocking member for the coin slot movable between a slot covering position and a slot uncovering position, and means moving said blocking member to the slot covering and uncovering positions upon movement of the bolt away from and towards its extended position, respectively.

6. A locking mechanism for use with a box having a removable closure, a box receptacle, and a two-key operated lock of the type wherein a first key can operate the lock between a neutral position and a first position and a second key can operate the lock between the neutral position and a second position, comprising; a bolt mounted on the box for movement between retracted, intermediate and extended positions, means selectively moving the bolt between the intermediate and extended positions when the lock is operated from its neutral to its first position and selectively moving the bolt between its intermediate and retracted positions when the lock is operated from its neutral to its second position, and means engaged by the bolt locking the box to the receptacle when the bolt is moved to its extended position and locking the closure to the box when the bolt is moved to its intermediate position, said closure and the box being unlocked when the bolt is moved to the retracted position.

7. In combination, a receptacle, a coin box removably mounted within the receptacle and having a closure member mounted thereon, said closure member having a coinreceiving slot therein, a bolt slidably mounted on the closure for rectilinear movement between a retracted position and an extended position With an intermediate position therebctween, a slot in said receptacle receiving said bolt when it is in the extended position for locking the box within the receptacle, a blocking member pivotally mounted on the closure for movement between coin slot covering and uncovering positions, means moving the blocking element to the covering position when the bolt is moved from the extended position, said box having means locking the closure member on the coin box when the bolt is in the intermediate position, a two-key operated lock having first, second and third positions, and means operably connecting the lock to the bolt and positioning the bolt in the retracted, intermediate and extended positions when the lock is in the first, second and third positions, respectively, said lock being adapted for having a first key to operate the lock between its first and second positions and a second key to operate the lock between its second and third positions.

8. In combination, a coin box case, a coin box removably mounted within the case, a coin box closure member having a coin-receiving slot therein, a bolt slidably mounted within the closure member for rectilinear movement between a retracted position and an extended position with an intermediate position therebetween, means locking the coin box within the receptable when the bolt is in the extended position and locking the closure member on the coin box when the bolt is in the intermediate position, the closure member and the coin box being unlocked when the bolt is in the retracted position, a key-operated lock fixed on the coin box, and means including a depending finger connected to the bolt and a lockoperated pin having a cooperating engagement therewith moving the bolt to the retracted, intermediate, and extended positions upon operation of the lock.

9. In combination, a receptacle, a coin box removably mounted within the receptacle, a coin box closure member mounted upon the coin box and having a coin-receiving slot therein, a bolt slidably mounted on the closure for rectilinear movement between a retracted position and an extended position, said receptacle having a slot adapted for receiving the bolt when it is in the extended position for locking the coin box Within the receptacle, a blocking lever pivotally mounted on the closure member for movement between a coin slot covering and uncovering positions, means moving the blocking member to the covering position upon movement of the bolt from its extended position and moving the blocking member to the uncovering position upon movement of the bolt to its extended position, and a lock fixed to the coin box and having means being adapted to actuate the bolt between its retracted and extended positions.

10. In combination, a receptacle having an opening therein, a coin box removably mounted within the receptacle through the receptacle opening, said receptacle having slots thereon extending from adjacent the opening on opposite sides thereof, said slots having portions extending substantially parallel to the receptacle opening, a pair of studs fixed to the coin box and received in. said slot portions, a bolt slidably mounted on the coin box for movement between retracted and extended positions, the receptacle having a slot adapted for receiving the extended bolt for locking the coin box studs within the slot portions and preventing removal of the coin box, and a key-op crate-d lock on the coin box having means for operating the bolt between its extended and retracted positions.

11. In combination, a receptacle, a coin box mounted within the receptacle and having a closure member mounted thereon, a bolt slida-bly mounted on the closure member for rectilinear movement between retracted and extended positions, said closure member having a coin-receiving slot therein, a blocking lever pivotally mounted on the closure member for movement between a coin slot covering and uncovering positions, the bolt and the blocking lever having engaging abutments thereon for moving the blocking lever to the uncovering and covering positions upon movement of the bolt to and away from the extended position, respectively, the receptacle having a slot therein receiving the bolt when it is in its extended position for locking the coin box within the receptacle, and a keyoperated lock on the coin box adapted for moving the bolt between its retracted and extended positions.

12. In combination, a case, a coin box removably mounted Within the case, a coin box closure member mounted on the coin box and having a coin-receiving slot therein, a bolt slidably mounted upon the closure member for rectilinear movement between retracted and extended positions with an intermediate position therebetween, said case having a slot adapted for receiving the bolt when it is in the extended position for locking the coin box within the case, means locking the closure member to the box when the bolt is in its intermediate position, coin slot blocking means adapted for covering the coin slot upon movement of the bolt from its extended position, a latch pivotally mounted on the closure member having an arm being adapted for engagement by a pair of abutments on the bolt, said pair of abutments pivoting the latch in one direction upon movement of the bolt to the extended position and in the other direction upon movement of the bolt to the retracted position, over center biasing means on the closure member adapted for biasing the latch in 5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS Blohm Jan. 1, 1952 Anderson July 22, 1952 Osborne Jan. 9, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS France Aug. 31, 1937 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BOX RECEPTACLE, A BOX REMOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE RECEPTACLE, A BOX CLOSURE MOUNTED ON THE BOX, A TWO-KEY OPERATED LOCK OF THE TYPE WHEREIN EACH KEY IS ADAPTED FOR INDEPENDENTLY ACTUATING THE LOCK THROUGH A DISTINCT OPERATIONAL MOVEMENT, A BOLT MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION AND AN EXTENDED POSITION WITH AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION THEREBETWEEN, MEANS LOCKING THE CLOSURE TO THE BOX WHEN THE BOLT IS IN THE INTERMEDIATE POSITION, MEANS LOCKING THE BOX WITHIN THE RECEPTACLE WHEN THE BOLT IS IN THE EXTENDED POSITION, BOTH OF SAID LOCKING MEANS BEING UNLOCKED WHEN THE BOLT IS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, AND MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTING THE TWO-KEY OPERATED LOCK TO THE BOLT, SAID CONNECTING MEANS MOVING THE BOLT FROM THE RETRACTED POSITION TO THE INTERMEDIATE POSITION UPON OPERATION OF THE LOCK BY A FIRST OF THE TWO KEYS, SAID CONNECTING MEANS FURTHER MOVING THE BOLT FROM THE INTERMEDIATE POSITION TO THE EXTENDED POSITION WHEN THE LOCK IS OPERATED BY THE SECOND OF THE KEYS. 